The Black Bird
by Spademyheart
Summary: Red is recovering after being shot and sends someone in to help Liz.
1. Chapter 1

An: This is the fist thing I have ever written so please be kind. No Red in this chapter, he is still in recovery mode. I loved the show leverage, so I included a little line from the show in this chapter. Hope you enjoy

A special thank you to Emma ofDismay for her help. Without her this would not be possible.

Chapter 1

Liz had returned to work the following morning after Red was shot to start tracking down the man that Red said had information on the fulcrum. She wondered how she would manage to get through the day, let alone get any actual work done after what had happened. She worried this was her fault, would it have happened if she had just turned over the fulcrum to him when she first found it? But she knew she would never have done that, she'd been terrified that he would leave her. She wanted and needed answers, but what she didn't want to look closely at, was that she wanted and needed...him.

She was only half listening to what Ressler was saying to her when her phone buzzed in her pocket, when she saw who it was she interrupted him. "Oh, sorry Res, I've got to take this." She walked a few feet away and answered with, "Red, I'm so glad you called, I'm sorry for—"

Dembe cut her off with, "It's just me, Ms. Keen, Raymond is resting. He asked me to call you and let you know that an… associate of his will be by to give you some information on a woman who will be able to identify your target. She should be there momentarily." Before Liz could question him on this strange development he ended the call.

Liz was shocked to say the least. How could he have someone else bring her the information. What about all the "I only speak with Elizabeth Keen?" Did he blame her for being shot? He was only there, after all, because she had called him to give him the fulcrum. Was he upset with her for not letting him explain? Was she ready to listen? She knew she didn't want to lose him, but would he tell her the whole truth or would it be more half truths and stories.

Before she could worry about that any more the elevator doors opened to reveal an extremely beautiful women who looked to be in her early 40s, but aging very gracefully. Creamy white skin, jet black hair with a widow's peak and the most gorgeous eyes Liz had ever seen. Jealousy started to wind her up, but she tamped it down as she continued to study the woman walking straight for her. She was dressed elegantly and expensively in a black pencil skirt and a light blue blouse, the clothes were obviously tailored for her as they fit her to perfection, Highlighting the subtle curves of her small frame. She wore 6 inch heels, to give her some height as she could not have been more than 5'3.

Ressler was on her immediately with, " How did you get in here, this is a secure facility" She waved him off with a hand and continued until she stopped in front of Liz.

Cooper looked up from the file he was looking at to see the woman approach Liz. "Ahh, I see you were able to get in with no problems." She gave a small nod to A.D. Cooper, then turned back to Liz.

The woman then spoke with a very cultured British accent and a small smirk, "Hello Elizabeth, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. Raymond can not stop talking about you. I half expected to see an angel with a halo and wings."

Samar approached them just then. The woman gave her a quick cursory head to toe glance, handed her a thumb drive and turned back to Liz, effectively dismissing Samar, who pocketed the drive and moved to stand near Aram. Liz could do nothing but stare, the woman was surprisingly intimidating despite her small stature. She looked as if she could chew you up and spit you out with merely a look. It was funny, but she couldn't help but think, this was a female Red. She didn't like this woman who seemed to know not only Red but her as well. It was disconcerting. As if sensing her thoughts the woman stepped a little closer and whispered for only Liz to hear. "Don't worry, my dear, he will be with you again soon," and stepped back. Without taking her gaze off Liz, the woman spoke to a man behind her. Liz looked behind the woman and could not believe she had missed the blonde Adonis standing behind her. He looked as big as a mountain, his muscles bulging and pulling at his suit. He moved to hand the drive she requested to Aram, then moved back to his previous position behind his mistress. It was then Liz realized he must be this woman's 'Dembe.' He was watchful of those around him who would pose a danger, not quite trusting the agents in the room.

Aram spoke up then, "Here we go." he said, pointing at the screen.

The mystery woman turned and started discussing the woman on the screen. "She is a wealthy socialite who uses her connections to discreetly sell secrets of the world's top dignitaries. She will be at an Embassy party tomorrow evening and I have secured invites for us to get close to her."

Upon seeing the attractive older woman on the screen, Ressler asked sarcastically "If Red is out of commission, who is going to get close to this lady?" pointing to her bodyguard, "Your mountain of a man?"

The woman turned to Ressler with a small grin, and walking into Ressler's personal space, spoke slowly and seductively, "Don't be silly Donald, she is a cougar, she likes them young and yummy." She playfully nipped close to Ressler and made a sexy growl, "You will be my date -slash-assistant and when she approaches, you will let her steal you away, charming her to discreetly ask about your target." While slowly circling him and eyeing him from head to toe, she asked, "Do you think you can handle me?" stepping in front of him again and running her hand up his chest and asking innocently, "Can you manage that without slipping on any banana peels?" She quickly stepped away and back to Liz keeping her laughing eyes on Ressler as he blushed furiously and stammered out his reply, "Of course—" he cleared his throat, "Of course I can, I am a trained agent after all." He shot a glare at Samar as she chuckled softly.

The woman then continued her review of the target as if the whole exchanged had never happened. "She does not seduce the dignitaries themselves, but rather their younger, unsuspecting assistants who accompany their bosses to quickly pass on the information that keeps businesses and countries running smoothly while their bosses drink and whore the night away," A disgusted look crossed her face to be replaced quickly with an impassive mask.

Ressler asked, "Is this some low level blacklister that is supposed to keep us occupied while poor, little Red gets all better?"

With a barely concealed eye-roll she responded "This woman is not a blacklister, she is harmless really, even the information she does manage to… seduce out of these youngsters is not all that damaging. She is a rather small fish, not worth your time, but she does know how to contact the man you are really after. All the information you need is contained on the file Aram has. Please read it carefully," she turned to look at Ressler, "As we can not afford any mishaps."

With that, she turned and started back towards the elevator. Without turning she spoke to Liz, "Are you coming Elizabeth? We do not have a lot of time to get you turned out for the evening."  
Liz, startled out of her stupor, quickly caught up to the woman. "I trust you have a tux Donald?" she called as she stepped into the elevator with Liz, and with that the elevator doors closed leaving Liz alone with this strange woman and her bodyguard.

Liz immediately rounded on her "Who are you? Why did Red have to send you? I could have easily gone to him to get this information myself." She was starting to get worked up, so she forced herself to take a deep breath to calm herself.

The woman turned and regarded Liz for a moment before answering her "Raymond wanted you to have a new dress for the party and asked if I would accompany you to a friend of mine who is a designer. "She then looked down at what Liz was wearing, wrinkled her nose and added "If you like I could also introduce you to my tailor as you seem to be in need of a new wardrobe."

Liz blushed hotly feeling a bit inferior to this well turned out lady, then just as quickly her ire shot up, how dare this woman that she didn't even know criticize her choice of clothes. "Thanks, but I'm comfortable and confident in my choices." Barley able to resist sticking out her tongue, Liz asked again "Who are you? I assume you have a name."

"Henrietta, you may call me Henri. I am not here to be your enemy Elizabeth, we could even be friends." Just then the doors slid open and Liz followed her to a black Bentley Mulsanne. The guard opened the door for Henri and closed the door after she slid in and motioned for Liz to follow him to the other side.

"Do you have a name?" Liz asked a little irritably as she followed him around to the other side.

"Jonus" was all he said as he opened the door and waited for Liz to climb in. As she did he gave her a small smile to help ease her nerves and closed the door.

"So where are we going to get this dress" Liz asked to see if she could get a conversation started and maybe see how much, if anything Henri knew of her connection to Red.

"A friend of mine, Katharine, has graciously agreed to fly over to meet with us and show you a dress she designed for you. And before you ask, I...acquired some surveillance photos of you so Katharine could have a look at you and get a design ready to try on today. I guessed your measurements, we will see if I am correct."

"Liz looked at Henri incredulously "You acquired? Did Red give them to you or are you spying on me too?" she was working herself up again, but couldn't help it. Who did this woman think she was, it was difficult enough to accept that Red kept tabs on her, but to hear that Henri did as well was too much to take. "I suppose you know of my connection to Red and are in on his master plan or whatever his real agenda is with me. What's the plan? Why are you really here? You have to give me something if you want me to continue with this little charade after telling me you have been spying on me." She crossed her arms over her chest and waited for Henri to speak.

Henri opened her mouth as if to speak then closed it again, not quite sure how much she should reveal. She could see in Liz's body language that she would have to say something or this would go nowhere fast. So she settled on a small bit of truth. "You have to understand Elizabeth, I would tell you everything if I could, but it is not just your life hanging in the balance. You aren't the only one this information is protecting.

Well, that wasn't what Liz was expecting at all. Red obviously trusted this woman, did he not trust her? That hit her right in the gut. Liz stared into Henri's eyes, trying to see if this was a tactic or the truth, but could not read anything, she wore her masks as well as Red did. "It's not like he can't trust me" she managed to squeak out.

Henri gave Liz a pointed look, then said "Maybe you could start by trusting him. Give him the benefit of the doubt. You might be surprised at where it could take you."

Liz abruptly turned to face the front again. Took a few deep breaths before speaking. "Trust him? He's a criminal on the FBI's most wanted list, I'm a federal agent. He is the bad guy, I'm the good guy, trust isn't really at the forefront of his little deal." She wanted to trust him, but every time she turned around something was there to shake the foundations of any trust she might have with Red. He didn't seem very inclined to set her on solid ground. Or maybe he had, she thought of all the times she had angrily cut him off before he could fully explain. But no, he would just skirt the truth as he always had. She had to shake her head of the confusion that was Red or she could drive herself crazy.

Henri huffed a small laugh. "Sometimes the bad guys are the only good guys you get. You need to start to look beneath the surface of things to read between the lines. Sometimes a person cannot just say exactly what may need to be said. Sometimes fear holds us back from completely opening ourselves up." She turned to look out the window. "Here we are, Are you ready for some glamour?"

Jonus got out and opened the door for Henri to get out, Liz slid across the seat and stepped out. They were at a warehouse somewhere. Liz realized she hadn't even been paying attention to where they were going, she was so focused on the woman in the car. Jonus led them to a side door and after a quick peek inside allowed them to precede him into the building. It was massive open space inside, a table and some chairs had been set up with a steaming pot of tea on a rolling cart to the side of the table, with milk, honey and sugar. There was a large curtain strung up for a makeshift changing room and a rack with a garment bag and several dresses hanging next to it. As they got closer to the table she could hear hushed voices coming from behind the curtain.

A woman stepped out and smiled warmly at Henri as she greeted her. "Henrietta, it's so good to see you again." she kissed both of Henri's cheeks and then turned to Liz with a warm smile. "This must be the beautiful Elizabeth." She walked over and shook Liz's hand. "I am Katharine. It's so nice to see you in person, the pictures don't do you justice"

Liz smiled warmly at Katharine, liking her instantly. "Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to come here and do this. Those dresses look amazing."

Katharine turned to look at the dresses. "Oh, those are just a few I brought in case you did not like the one I designed for you." She took Liz by the elbow and guided her towards the curtain. She turned back to Henri for a moment to indicate the table. "Please make your self comfortable, I had Jonus send over some of your leaves to brew." She then grabbed the garment bag and followed Liz behind the curtain.

There was a bench and another rack for Liz to hang her clothes on while she tried on the dress, and a three way mirror to one side for viewing. Liz began to take her clothes off as Katharine got the dress out of the bag. Liz was momentarily stunned, the dress was gorgeous. It was a very dark blue and sparkled. There was a very low neckline with a belt just under the breast to hold it together, it would hit just above the knees. She finished undressing and was anxious to try it on.

Katharine held it out to her. "What do you think?"

Liz took the dress from her in awe. "It's so beautiful. It looks like a clear night sky where you can see all the stars twinkling." Liz slipped the gown on and was amazed at how it fit her like a second skin. "I will have to thank Henri for getting my measurements right." Katharine stepped behind her to zip her up. Liz studied herself in the mirror, tuning this way and that. She couldn't believe she was looking at herself. She looked hot. And she hadn't even done her hair and makeup. Too bad Red wouldn't be able to see her in this dress. She would love to see his reaction. Annoyed at where her thoughts were turning, she shook her head to clear her thoughts and turned to Katharine, she smiled shyly "I don't want to take it off."

Katharine smiled brightly clearly happy that her dress was a hit. "You will certainly turn heads at your event, you will be the envy of every other woman in the room. Do you want to show Henri before I pack it up for you?"

Liz had turned back to admire herself again, she really couldn't believe it was her. Maybe she should take Henri up on her offer of an introduction to her tailor, but she would never be able to afford clothes that weren't off the rack. Oh well, one night of being the belle of the ball will have to do. Turning around for Katharine to unzip her. "No, I think I want to see her face when I get there." Smiling, Liz handed the dress back to Katharine and got back into her work clothes.

Liz stepped out from behind the curtain and over to the table. Henri looked up and smiled at Liz, noting she was already redressed and got up and walked over to wear Katharine was and they talked quietly for a minute. Jonus took the garment bag and a box from Katharine and headed out the the car.

Katharine and Henri walked over to Liz and Katharine gave Liz a hug. "It was a pleasure to dress you. I included a pair of shoes to match the dress, you looked so lovely that I forgot to have you put them on."

Liz gave Katharine a huge smile. "Thank you, it will be an honor to wear your design tomorrow night."

Henri took Liz gently by the elbow and led them back to the car where Jonus was waiting to let them in.

Once they were settled and Jonus pulled from the curb, Henri turned to Liz. "I take it you didn't want to let me see the dress before the party?"

Liz turned and gave her a small smile. "It would have felt a little like a mom taking me to get a prom dress, so you will just have to wait like everyone else."

Henri shook her head and smiled. "I understand."

They rode in silence for the rest of the ride back to the post office. Liz hopped out before Jonus could get out and open her door for her. She gave him a cheeky grin and looked back in the car at Henri."You aren't coming back in?"

Henri shook her head. "No, I have some...business to attend to. Jonus will come to pick you up tomorrow a few hours before the event. You will use one of Raymond's safe houses to get ready and there will be someone there to do your hair and makeup if you like." She nodded her head to Jonus and he shut the door.

Liz gave Jonus a wave in parting and headed back in to the Post Office. What business could Henri have to do. Was she going to report to Red or did she have her own criminal activities to take care of. She needs to see if Aram can bring up any information on Henri before the event tomorrow night. It's always a good idea to arm yourself with as much information as possible before walking into a situation blindly.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Henri walked into the makeshift recovery room where Red was, as soon as he saw her, he smiled and asked "So, how did it go? Did she get the dress? You didn't tell her I had a hand in its design did you?" He really missed Lizzie, but how she recoiled from him after his admission regarding Tom, he thought it best to take a step back for a bit. It was killing him though.

Henri laughed, "You aren't anxious to hear are you?" When you said you had a job for me, I thought you needed my professional skills, not to escort your girlfriend around while you recuperate." She sat down on the bed and put her arms on either side of him and bent to kiss his forehead. "How are you? Really, I mean. And I don't want to hear about Kate not giving in to your demands or the nurse not being pretty enough." She looked him in the eye, refusing to give an inch until he told her the truth.

Red sighed. He couldn't get much past her. She had always been too observant for her own good. Being one of the few people who could read him like an open book, look beneath his masks. She never judged, just asked for the brutal truth, not one to mince about. Which is why he trusted her implicitly and loved her like a sister. Even though her father had betrayed him, she never had, warning him in time to escape with his life. He reached up and pulled her down to lie next to him. "I'm in need of some coddling, it hurts like hell and Kate has absolutely no sympathy. He lightly kissed her temple. I do have a job for you, I need to clear some of the players they could hire to take me out. I just wanted you to meet her, besides it won't kill you to do this little operation with them and earn their trust. When the bodies start piling up, you won't be the first person they look to, or if they do, they might be persuaded to look the other way."

Henri gave him a small squeeze. "I liked her very much. She is beautiful, but I don't think she knows the power of it yet. High strung, but with everything that has been going on in her life, I suppose that can be overlooked somewhat. She doesn't trust me. But if I spend a little more time with her, that may change. You still think we shouldn't tell her who I am? She may be able to cover my rear if things go sideways." She put her hand over his mouth as he started to speak. "No quips about my ass."

He laughed against her hand, then winced as pain shot through his chest. "I am glad you liked her. Maybe you can get her to move to an apartment and away from that dingy motel." He gave a small shudder.

Henri rolled her eyes at him. "You are such a snob, you know that, right?"

Mr Kaplan walked in and interrupted them. "Well, look what the cat dragged in. If he rips his stitches because you get him laughing, there will be hell to pay." Coming over and grabbing Henri's arm to move her off the bed, she scolded her. "Get up. You have been gone for 6 months without a word, and you just saunter in like you own the place, I should bend you over my knee." Henri barley resisted the urge to grab her and kiss her senseless, that would shut her up, but remained passive by the bed. Her eyes dancing in amusement.

Red really laughed then and groaned loudly in pain as he said. "Not here Kate, you two can save that for another time" He loved teasing her, but he knew she would never cross the line and have a relationship with Henri, they needed on occasion to work closely together and couldn't afford strife when lives hung in the balance if things didn't work out.

"Mr Kaplan huffed. "She can only dream about getting me into her bed. I'm sure I could teach her a thing or two" She slapped Henri on the ass and gave her a wink, then turned to Reddington. "It's time for your morphine shot, and I won't take no for an answer, you have groaned in pain several times since I've walked in. She got the syringe ready and added it into his IV line. "You can talk shop once you've had a nap." She said to Henri as she left the room. "It really is good to see you again. Don't be a stranger."

Henri looked back at a smiling Red. She took his hand and kissed it. "Well, I guess that is my signal to leave. I have missed you, I cannot wait to see all the mischief we get ourselves into. Henri ran her thumb comfortingly over his hand. She could tell it was bothering him not being in contact with his Lizzie. You should call her, I have a feeling she will be more receptive to hearing what you have to say."

Red gave her hand a squeeze, ignoring her comment "Dembe will have the file for you on the targets. No calling cards on this one would be best." He waited for her to nod her understanding before letting her hand go. He hated to see her go, he was lonely. He would never admit it, especially to Henri, she would tease him mercilessly. He would give anything to have Lizzie here right now, but he was sure she wanted nothing to do with him, if only she would let him explain. His last thoughts were of her as he drifted off to sleep.

Xxxxxxxx

Liz arrived at the Post Office early the next morning, she wanted to see if Aram had found anything and finish up some paperwork before the mission tonight. She had fought the urge last night to call Red. She had the phone in her hand and his contact selected on her phone several times, but couldn't bring herself to call. She would show him she could find this person for him, to show him she was valuable to him, that there was more then the fulcrum to keep him close. Lost in her thoughts, she almost ran over Ressler on her way to their office.

Ressler side stepped her just on time to avoid impact. He caught her by the shoulder and turned her towards him. "Easy there Keen, you ok? You were a million miles away." He knew of course that Reddington was the cause. She was really shook up, they all were but her more so. He suspected her feelings for the man ran deeper then FBI agent and informant.

She glanced up at Ressler, shook off his hand and brushed past him into their office, leaving him to follow her inside. She turned then, "Sorry Res, there's just a lot on my plate right now. Red has us chasing this guy for information when we don't even know who shot him yet, he could still be in danger. She realized her emotions regarding Red were showing in her voice, so she quickly added. He is a valuable asset, we can't afford to lose him."

Aram entered the office after a brief knock on the door. "I have that information you requested last night about our pretty visitor yesterday, you are not going to believe this." He paused for effect, he couldn't wait to see the shock on their faces when they found out who had brazenly walked in here like she owned the place and back out like it was nothing.

Ressler wanted to shake him. And asked sharply. "Well? Don't keep us waiting."

Aram's face fell a bit at Ressler's sharp tone, turning to Liz he said. "Have you ever heard of The Black Bird?"

Liz couldn't recall hearing a name like that, she looked at Ressler to see if the name rang a bell, he looked surprised.

Ressler looked at Aram suspiciously. " You want us to believe that an assassin walked in here, gave us information on a target then took Agent Keen dress shopping? I was under the impression, that there was no clear surveillance footage of her. The only way we know her code name is from the calling cards left at the scene."

Aram looked a little sheepish, then down to the floor. "Well, ummm...please don't be mad at me Agent Keen."

Liz was suddenly on guard. "Mad at you? I don't understand."

Aram fidgeted at bit under her gaze and blurted out. "I called Mr. Reddington. He partially hid his face behind the folder he held waiting for an explosion.

Ressler gave Liz a look that clearly said, I'm surprised you didn't do that. Liz let out a breath. " It's alright Aram. Did he say anything else about her?"

Aram, clearly relieved said. "Not really, just that we can trust her and she will be a valuable source of information for us." He gave a little shrug and quickly left the room.

Liz knew she should have called him herself, but wasn't so sure he would have been so forthright with her. It was like he liked playing with her, like a cat with a mouse. Maybe if she made an effort to befriend Henri, she could ply her for information and turn the tables on him for once. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, then nodded to Ressler. "Come on, I think our first stop should be Cooper, her let her in here. He seemed to know who she was." When she had come back to the post office last night her head was still swimming with Red bringing in someone else, that she hadn't even thought of talking to Cooper then.

Cooper's door was open and after a brief knock he looked up and motioned them in. Ressler took a seat in front of the desk, Liz stood near the door. She wasn't so sure she was going to like what she heard and wanted a quick escape. Cooper eyed her for a moment before saying. " I have a feeling I know what this is about. I was surprised you didn't barge in here as soon as you got back last night. Go ahead and ask your questions."

Liz glanced a Ressler, a little surprised Cooper was seemingly going to be cooperative about this. She shot a couple rapid fire questions at him "You knew who she was? Did Red warn you? You didn't seem surprised she was here." Liz was suddenly angry again, Did Red notify Cooper and leave her out of the loop? It was surely retribution for not letting him to explain. She took a deep breath, best to find out all she could before confronting Red.

Cooper help up his hand to slow her down. "No, Red did not tell me...she did." He let that statement hang in the air for a moment as both agents took that in.

Liz glanced at Ressler to see his mouth agape, good to know she wasn't the only one feeling shell shocked. When she got her voice back she asked cautiously. "She told you? You are on good enough terms with an assassin for her to call you, tell you she wants to meet at the blacksite and you allow her entry, without warning us." She waved her hand between herself and Ressler.

Cooper nodded his head a few times slightly and then said. "Yes and no. She and I have...worked together once before. He held up his hand again as he saw Liz and Ressler about to play rapid fire with questions again. She isn't a criminal...she works for us, well the government, several governments to be exact. She contracts out her services and is allowed to move freely throughout the world. She has minimal to no contact with any field agents, she is usually contacted via encrypted e-mail to keep her identity a secret. It is a bit like this facility, very few know of what she does. If someone does seem to be getting too close, false leads are brought into the case so she won't be caught. And I must ask for your discretion. I will have to debrief the Secretary of Defense of your knowledge. He is going to flip a gasket, but I am sure we can smooth this over." He raised his brows. "Anything else agents? We have a lot to do before tonight's operation."

This was already a lot to take in. Her mind was whirling. She suddenly looked up at Cooper. "If she works for us, what is she doing with Reddington?" Does he have some kind of information he is holding over her head? I wonder how many assassinations she has carried out on his behalf that the government is unaware of. " She would definitely be calling Red as soon as she left the office.

Cooper pinched the bridge of his nose before responding. "Those are questions you will have to ask Reddington. That will be all, we all have things we need to take care of." He went back to reading the file on his desk.

Liz and Ressler walked out of the office. Ressler turned to her and asked. "You are going to call him, right? I can't believe he didn't tell you about her. What is going on with you two?"

Liz rounded on him. "Why do you keep implying there is something going on between us? He looked like he was going to say something so Liz continued on before he could. I do my job to the best of my ability sometimes going into situations not knowing the full story, I think I have done a pretty damn good job considering. Yes, of course I am going to call him, better yet, I think I will pay him a visit, that way I can look him in the eye when I call him a bastard." She left Ressler standing there while she went to collect her things and headed out to her car. It's like Red knew how to push her buttons and took great delight in doing so. If he wanted to prove to her that she meant more to him than the fulcrum, this was a lousy way to start.

As she drove to Reddington's current location, she thought of what Henri had said to her about trusting him, giving him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe that was why he loved playing cat and mouse with her. He knew she didn't fully trust him and it annoyed him. Liz thought of the look on Red's face if she were to walk in and give him the benefit of the doubt, allow him to explain things. Assuredly his trust wouldn't come overnight, but this would be a start and certainly knock him off his game a bit. She smiled to herself as she felt more and more comfortable with her plan. She could still be cautious of him, she didn't have to believe everything he said, but at lease afford him the courtesy of listening. Maybe Henri was correct in there being surprising results, maybe Red will trust her more and quit keeping things from her, would he start to reveal more of their connection? It was worth a try.

When she arrived at the location, she was met just inside the door by Dembe. He stopped her from going any further. I'm sorry Ms. Keen, Raymond is asleep. He needs his rest now more than ever."

Liz looked up at him with her best lost puppy dog eyes. "Please Dembe, I won't wake him, I just need to see him, to assure myself he is still here...I miss him." Though truth be told all she had said was the truth. She did miss him and she did feel an overwhelming need to just see him breathe, to see that he was still with her. She could see the tension leave Dembe's shoulders and knew she had won. He stepped out of her way and she gave him a small smile as she walked past him to where Red was.

He was, as Dembe said, sleeping. Walking over to the side of the bed, she took the opportunity to study him. His face was relaxed and she wondered how often he slept like this. Without the worry of what was happening, or what could happen. He was always thinking, always a few steps ahead of everyone it seemed. She knew now after talking with Henri, that all those strategies were not just for his benefit and her heart squeezed with emotion as she knew she was one of the lucky ones he kept safe. She just wished she knew why. Liz thought about what Cooper had told them about Henri working for the government, and wondered if that is how it started out with Red. Was the Concierge of Crime some deep undercover operation for him, they did agree to his ludicrous immunity deal fairly quickly now that she thought about it. That would be much better than him having turned on his own to a life of crime. She suddenly felt the need to touch him, she sat down on the char next to the bed and lightly took his hand in hers. It was warm and reassuring, if anyone could take a bullet to the chest and come away no worse for the wear, it was Red. She leaned forward and whispered close to his ear. "I'm sorry Red, so sorry. Please come back to me soon." A few tears escaped before she realized they had even formed.

Red could feel someone take his hand as he started to wake, then he heard her, his Lizzie. But no, he had to be dreaming, she was angry with him. When he felt the wetness hit his hand he opened his eyes slowly and saw Lizzie sitting beside him, with her head bowed over their clasped hands. He wasn't sure what to do, acknowledge he had heard her of feign ignorance. He decided on the latter, as he didn't want to upset her. His voice was a little weak and gravely as he squeezed her hand and said. "Lizzie, I didn't expect you would want to see me."

Liz's head shot up. She looked into his eyes, then down to his lips and back to his eyes to see him give her a small smile. She found herself smiling back instead of taking offense at his smug smile. "I didn't mean to wake you, I know you need your rest. I just needed to see for myself that you were still here." She wanted to add, please don't leave me, but god knows what he would do with that.

He squeezed her hand again, taking it as a good sign that she hadn't released her hold yet. "I was once in a remote part of the jungle staying with a small tribe. It was so hot and humid, bugs and critters everywhere. I was not thinking clearly I suppose from not drinking enough water, Dembe did try and warn me. I may have gotten a little _friendly_ with the chief's wife. He saw Lizzie roll her eyes and chuckled. The chief challenged me to a duel of sorts, as you know he could not let the slight pass and cause chaos in his tribe. We fought with spears, he was small and wiry, so I thought I had him with strength alone. I learned a valuable lesson there Lizzie, never underestimate your opponent. I was cocky and let my guard down for a just a second, but that was all he needed, he jabbed me in the gut. It didn't hit any major organs, but the tip of his spear was poisoned and it took hold rather quickly. The chief thought he had killed me as I was deathly still, he allowed Dembe to carry my body away and promise never to return. Luckily Dembe has wonderful medical field training and was able to mix up a concoction of some berries and weeds from the river to cure the poison that was working very fast to kill me. That didn't kill me, so this surely is nothing more that a small setback." He squeezed her hand again, because he could and that delighted him.

Since he seemed to be in a good mood, likely a side effect of the pain meds, she decided to tell him what she had learned of Henri and see of she could coax him into telling her a how he knew her. "Aram said he called you and you told him about Henri." His smile left his lips, to be replaced with a grim line, and a wary look in his eyes. He was probably expecting her to yell at him and tell him they were done. She really did say that a lot, man was he right about lines in the sand. She gave his hand a little squeeze to let him know she wasn't going to launch an attack. "I just wish you would have told me, trusted me. I'm sorry that you couldn't, trust me that is. I realize that I haven't always treated you fairly. I guess I always expect the worse, always waiting for the anvil to drop. It has several times and to be fair you were usually there or nearby when it did. She shushed him when she saw he wanted to say something. I am willing to extend the olive branch and give you a chance to explain your actions before letting anger lead mine. Not that I won't be angry with you from time to time, mind you."

Red couldn't believe his Lizzie was saying this to him, he was either the most fortunate man on the face of the earth or the pain meds were really messing with his head. He knew his feelings had changed from distant protector to something much deeper, never expecting her to reciprocate those feelings. She wasn't expressing her undying love to him or anything, but he will take what he could get. He drew in breath, then slowly let it out. With just force of will he was able to keep the emotion from his face and voice as he said. "Thank you Lizzie. You have no idea how much that means to me to hear you say that. I accept your olive branch, It is a good start to be sure."

Liz practically beamed at him. She felt like even though he had his mask in place that it touched him a little deeper than he was willing to show just then. Reading her favorite criminal was getting easier the more time she spent with him. He had gotten off their subject a little with his story and she knew he was trying to avoid this conversation, but she needed to hear about his connection to Henri. She smiled as she said. "Tell me about Henri, Cooper told us about her, she is not really a criminal, so how do you know her well enough to ask for favors. You know like taking me dress shopping?"

Red smiled a half smile and shook his head. He should have know Lizzie would not let this go. "It's a really long story Lizzie, suffice it to say, she saved my life many years ago and many times since. He could see the wheels turning in Lizzie's head, the spark of jealousy she was trying so desperately to hide, and knew she wanted to know if they had been or were in a relationship. He decided to set her mind at ease, if she was going to trust Henri and start trusting him, he could at least give her that. "We are not nor have we ever been sexually or romantically involved." Liz held his gaze for several seconds, he let her see the truth of that statement in his eyes.

Liz let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She was indeed thinking that, but would never had asked. It was a little frustrating he could read her so easily. She tried to sound sassy when she said. "Well she is very beautiful and with the way you talk of past conquests, it's hard to believe you left such a bounty on the table, so to speak." She looked away as she began to think of all the beautiful women he had been with.

He lifted their joined hands and put them under her chin to get her to look at him. I haven't taken a bite out of you yet, and you are far more beautiful in my eyes." He hadn't meant to say such a thing, but he had seen the look in her eyes before she turned away and he couldn't let her think she didn't measure up in some way.

She giggled a little embarrassed by what she saw in his eyes. "Thanks Red, but you don't have to say things like that."

Red looked affronted. "You think I go around saying things like that to just anyone? He gave her a little smirk with a twinkle in his eyes. "I have my standards you know." He loved her smile and was over the moon that he was the one to bring it about. He didn't think he would ever be able to see it directed at him again after telling her he had hired Tom.

She wasn't sure of the turn the conversation was taking, maybe they should wait until he recovered a bit to explore that further. She found she liked the idea of Red directing those kind of attentions to her, but she needed to make sure it wasn't the pain meds talking. She could see he was getting tired again so she left him with a promise to visit again tomorrow and tell him all about tonight's operation. She left feeling lighter than she had in quite a while. She said a small thank you to Henri for her advise and headed home to wait for Jonus to pick her up.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Dembe walked into Red's room and laid an open laptop onto his lap. Red looked at Dembe questioningly and down at the laptop, seeing several views of what looked to be a large party. He suddenly looked back up at Dembe with a brilliant smile. "I..when did you have the time to set this up?" He felt like a kid at Christmas, and couldn't have kept the large grin off his face if he tried.

Dembe smiled back and clasped his hand. "I knew you would want to see her this evening, so I called a friend who works for the embassy and...persuaded him to let us view the live feed."

Red's eyes watered a bit, but he was able to keep the emotion welling up inside him at bay. At times like these, just knowing that his friend was thinking of the little things to keep him happy, meant so much. "Thank you my friend, this is more than I had hoped for. I thought I might just get a non descriptive, the dress was nice and the party was okay, from Lizzie." He was almost watering at the mouth now, thinking of what Lizzie would look like in her new dress.

Dembe laughed and started to leave the room, then turned back and said. "I am glad Elizabeth came by yesterday. I haven't gotten to talk to you about it yet. Do you want to talk about it before I go?"

Red huffed a laugh at his friend's not so veiled attempt at trying to get him to talk about how that conversation went. "It did go well, but she retreated when our talk took a more...personal turn, but I am hopeful that once I am better, we will be revisiting that conversation. He thanked Dembe again as he turned to leave. He was confident he had read her right and she just needed a bit of time to absorb what had changed in those last few moments between the two of them. He wouldn't push her...well, not too much at least. He caught Dembe just as he was about to clear the doorway. "Any chance I could get a glass of scotch for tonight?"

Dembe gave a wave of his hand and didn't even bother to give that a response as he continued on his way out.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Liz allowed the stylist to do her hair and makeup, it felt good to relax for a moment and let someone else do the work. She had to admit, she was looking forward to this evening. She wasn't the one having to charm someone into giving them intel, that was all Ressler tonight and she was going to enjoy every moment, and take in every detail. And if he slipped up along the way, there was no way she was going to let him forget it, turn about was fair play. All she was there for tonight was to be there in case things went sideways, but Henri assured her that this woman was nothing to be worried about and they should be in and out within an hour, that is if Ressler did his job right. Once she was dressed, she put the earpiece in her ear that would keep her connected to the rest of the team, and she went into the sitting room to see if Jonus was ready. He was her date slash guard for the night, Henri had insisted. She found him looking at one of the art books Red kept around. She wondered if Red really had time to do all the site seeing he talks about or if he just reads these coffee table books and the rest is all bull shit. It was probably a bit of both.

Jonus heard her enter and put the book down as he addressed her. "May I say, you look absolutely stunning this evening Agent Keen, I will have my job cut out for me keeping all the men at bay."

Liz was feeling a little sassy tonight and decided on a little humor. "Well then, we will have to work on a signal, in case I want one to get a little closer." She winked at him, but noticed he wasn't smiling and her own smile faltered a little.

"I think Mr. Reddington would prefer you stay by my side this evening." Was all he said as he gestured for her to precede him out of the house.

Liz wondered if that was the reason Henri insisted Jonus be her "date". Did Red think she was going to get drunk and take some stranger home for a one night stand? She was going to have to have a talk with him, if she was going to trust him, he was going to have to give a little trust in return. She shook Red from her thoughts as she slid into the vehicle. No sense getting all upset now, as she could do nothing about it. She needed to concentrate on watching Ressler's back, and maybe enjoying seeing him squirm in his boy toy role. She must have giggled out loud because Jonus looked over at her questioningly. She just smiled and turned to the front. She glanced at the driver in the rear view mirror for the first time since entering the car to see that is was Dembe. She squealed in delight. "Dembe! I didn't expect to see you here. But if you are here, who is with Red?" She now had a worried look on her face.

Dembe smiled at her in the mirror. "Hello Elizabeth, Raymond is well protected, better than your president after the events the other day. He asked if I would be your driver so I was close in case you needed anything."

Liz eyed him skeptically. "So he wanted both you _and_ Jonus looking after me. Why, if this is supposed to be such an easy night? Is there something I should know, trouble on the horizon? If there is you had better tell me now or so help me..."

Dembe could see she was getting worked up and cut her off. "There is nothing about tonight that would require extra security, but someone is still after Raymond and you made some enemies protecting him. He is not taking any chances that they may come after you to get to him." He could see that had helped as she relaxed and sat back against the seat.

She huffed, a little annoyed, but she understood why Red would want her protected. "Fine, but I plan on enjoying myself this evening, I haven't gone out in so long, and this is on the governments dime." She saw the look her _guards _shared, but chose to ignore it, she was going to have fun, they could tag along all they wanted, but she would leave when she was ready and not a moment before. "I don't understand why we are still going after this guy, Leonard Caul opened the fulcrum, we have it now."

Dembe shook his head as he eyed her in the mirror. Raymond was right, she really was like a dog with a bone. He does not envy his friend one bit. "This man is the key to using the fulcrum. He will know who, when and where to strike with the information to bring the cabal to it's knees. No one is safe until that happens."

They finally arrived , Dembe opened her door and Jonus offered his arm to escort her inside. She could already feel the stares of men as they walked inside, she was grateful now for the guard's presence. Her earpiece went live as they entered the building and she could hear Ressler and Henri chatting. After a quick scan of the room, she saw them at the bar. She steered Jonus that way as they needed to order their own drinks to blend in. She heard Aram's voice in her ear a few minutes later, alerting them that their target had just arrived. She brought her drink to her lips and giggled out, "It's show time." Earning her a glare from Ressler. She just smiled as she took Jonus' arm to mingle and keep watch.

Henri pulled Ressler a little closer and whispered in his ear. "Try not to be so stiff and act like you are enjoying my company, she will be more likely to want to steal you away."

Ressler was a little annoyed with everyone thinking he was incompetent and was determined to show them he could handle himself. He put his arm around Henri's waste and pulled her flush against him, whispering in her ear. "I pretty sure I can handle you, but I wonder if you can handle me." She was hot and if he played his cards right, who knew how the night might end.

Henri laughed delightfully. "Oh, sweet Donnie, Have you not figured it out already? At his confused look she continued. I don't _handle _men. She caught his hand before it dropped from her waist. Don't get out of character yet dear, I just didn't want you to think there was a chance of taking me home."

To his credit, Ressler seemed to recover fairly quickly. But not before he heard his co workers suppressed laughter. He pulled Henri close again with one arm and took a sip of his drink, hoping to appear sexy. It must have worked because he felt a tap on his shoulder soon after. He turned and smiled at their target. "And here I thought I was with the most beautiful woman in the room already." He felt like patting himself on the back, that would show them he could pull this off. Little did he know every female on the team eye rolled in sync after that line.

The target smiled at him and introduced herself, offering him her hand. "Cheryl Rieling. care to dance with me? If your friend doesn't mind, of course."

Henri's smile lacked warmth. "Of course not, I am sure he does not want to spend the entire evening with his boss. Besides, I see someone I have not seen in quite some time, so go have some fun and I'll catch up with you later." As Henri walked over to chat with someone further down the bar she took her earpiece out and turned off her mic.

Aram tried to reach Henri after he saw that her mic was no longer active. "Umm...Ms. Vael? Henri? Agent Keen. I have isolated your earpiece for a moment so we don't distract Agent Ressler. Our new friend's mic is no longer active, do you have eyes on her?"

Liz wondered if it was on purpose but didn't comment on it. "Yes, I see her. She is talking to someone at the bar. Should I attempt to get closer to see what's going on? Jonus tensed at her words.

Aram answered Liz before she could question Jonus. "Yes, Cooper thinks we should keep our eye on her. She is here because Mr. Reddington brought her in, so there is no telling what she is really here to do."

Liz moved to walk towards Henri, but was blocked by Jonus. They engaged in a staring contest for a moment, but before she could tell him to move or lose his manhood, Henri walked towards them. Henri affected an air of breezy lightness, but Liz could see there was something off, her eyes did not hold any of the lightness she was trying to convey. "Oh, there you are Elizabeth, I hope you are enjoying your evening."

Liz wasn't up for any bullshit tonight. She already had to put up with Red's evasiveness, but Henri was not Red. "Why did you take your earpiece out and turn your mic off?"

Henri held Liz's stare for a moment before answering her. Not sure if Raymond had told her of the real reason she was here. "I had some business to discuss with someone.."

She was cut off when the crowd around the man Henri was just talking to erupted into chaos. Someone yelled for an ambulance to be called. Liz glared at Henri and she hurried over to see what was going on. She asked one of the people standing there. "What happened? Did he just collapse, or did someone do something to him?" She looked back at Henri who just shrugged and took a sip of her drink. That woman was beginning to get on her last nerve. Liz was sure Henri had something to do with this, it could not be a coincidence that he was having a freaking heart attack moments after talking to her.

A woman standing close answered her. "He was standing at the bar and then he clutched his chest and fell to the floor." He looks so young to have a heart attack, it just goes to show you that we need to take better care of ourselves or this could be any of us. I am starting back at the gym first thing tomorrow."

Liz stood and walked back over to Henri when she saw the paramedics come through the door, just as she got there Ressler joined them. "What happened to that guy? Good thing I got the info we were looking for. Aram is sending a team for the guy now."

Liz glared at Henri. She couldn't believe Henri wasn't even trying to act shocked at the scene by the bar. "I know you had something to so with that. You were just over there talking to him."

Henri refused to be baited by the accusations. "I see Dembe is here. She motioned him over. Jonus will take me and Dembe can give you and Donald a ride back for your debriefing. I will see you all later, oh and good job tonight Donald." She smiled and walked away, ignoring Liz's demand for answers.

Ressler caught Liz's arm as she stepped to go after Henri. "Just let her go, if I were you, I would head to Reddington and find out what he knows. Make him tell you, it's not like he can walk away from you right now. I'll stay here and find out who this guy is and have Aram run the name to see if we can find out why Henri wanted him out of the way."

She shrugged out of Ressler's grasp and rolled her eyes. "Fine." She left him standing there not waiting for his reply and Dembe trailing after her. She really hated always having to be one step behind Red all the time. Why send them here, Henri could have just as easily gotten the information and took out her target without them.

Xxxxxxx

She stormed in to Red's new safe house that he was moved to that morning, Dembe trailing behind her. "Elizabeth, at least let me go in first to make sure he is decent. He would not be happy with either of us if you were to walk in on him without warning. She continued on her way to his room as if she hadn't heard him, but his next words stopped her. He prefers to sleep in the nude, and now that he is here, I suspect he has made himself comfortable."

Liz stopped in her tracks and spun to face Dembe, she hadn't stopped to think if he was dressed or not. Now that the thought was in her mind she couldn't stop thinking about it. She dropped her head to stare at the ground as she felt her cheeks flush. "o...okay. Umm, yeah, you should make sure he is at least covered. I..I will just wait here." She stammered that breathless sentence out but couldn't help it, the thought of a naked Red was crashing around in her brain and she needed a little time to get herself under control.

Dembe continued down the hall to Red's room and entered after a brief knock. He came back out a few minutes later. "You can go in, but keep in mind he is still recovering from a chest wound and tired. Try to be brief and...gentle with him." He held her gaze for a moment before heading back they way they had come.

She took a few deep breaths to brace herself before lightly knocking on his door before entering. He was lying propped up with pillows against the headboard, a fresh white t-shirt adorned his chest, and he was nestled comfortably under a thick blanket. Suddenly not sure of what to say she held his gaze for a moment. "Hey." She blurted finally.

She was still wearing her dress, Red was momentarily left speechless. He never expected to see her in it in the flesh. Viewing her through the security feed was nothing to seeing her here now in the flesh. Oh, and there was a lot of flesh to see. He swallowed hard, his eyes roaming over her from head to toe and back again. He saw her fidget and realized she had said something and he had no idea what. Here they were in his bedroom for Christs sake and he an invalid. Fate hated him, he was sure of it. He swallowed again and took a deep breath to regain his wits. He tried for a detached tone, hoping he could cover his desire enough as not to send her running from the room. "Lizzie, you are mesmerizing. That dress is absolute perfection on you. I didn't expect to see you tonight, it is a most welcome surprise."

Liz was hot all over after watching him watch her. She had seen him give her looks before, but it was all part of his game, over before she could react. This was different, she could see the desire in his gaze as he slowly looked her over. Things had definitely changed between them after their last conversation, but she was still a little unsure of how to proceed. She stared back at him for a moment before making a decision and answering. "I was here to yell at you and ask you about Henri, but I think all that can wait for now. She walked over to the far side of the bed, slipped off her shoes and crawled onto the bed. She used an extra pillow and propped herself on the headboard next to him. If he was surprised, he hid it well. "Have you had your pain meds yet tonight?" She asked as she turned her body towards him.

His brain had turned to mush when she had climbed onto the bed, it had afforded him a brief but tantalizing view of her perfect breasts. He tore his gaze away from her chest to look at her to see a knowing grin on her face. He gave her a lecherous grin in return. He practically breathed out her name. "Lizzie...you are killing me. No drugs tonight, I am trying to ween myself off those things, they slow my wits and I need all my wits." He let his eyes roam over her body again. "Especially right now." He wanted with a burning passion to trace a line with his fingertips from her collarbone down between her breasts, cursing his right arm that shot death pains through him if he moved it too much. He didn't know if he could handle the torture of having her next to him in his bed and not touch her. "It's getting late, why don't you get some rest and we can talk tomorrow."

She shocked not only Red but herself with her next statement. "Please don't make me leave Ray. I don't know what this is between us, but it's killing me not to touch you. Will it hurt you if I laid my head on your chest? I will stay on top of the covers, I just want to go to sleep listening to your heartbeat. I almost lost you."

He knew he should tell her to go home, but since he was aching to touch her, he nodded his assent. "If you like you can fish something out of the chest of drawers over there to wear to bed, as good as you look in that dress I doubt it will be very comfortable to sleep in." He watched her as she got off the bed and searched through his drawers and chose a t-shirt and a pair of boxers. Seeing her in his undergarments might just kill him, but what a way to go.

She walked into the bathroom to change and indecision hit her immediately. Had she made a mistake asking to stay? She wanted to be close to him, but this was turning down a road where u-turns were not possible. Of course there would be no sex, but cuddling up next to him, in his bed, in his undergarments, that was extremely intimate. She took a cleansing breath. Her decision made when she had climbed on the bed, she changed quickly and walked back into the room. He had adjust himself so he was laying down and as she walked over to climb on the bed he lifted the blanket, a silent invitation for her to join. She looked at him to see if he would mock her, but all she saw was warm affection, so she crawled in next to him and laid her head gently on his chest as his arm closed around her. She peered up at him. "Is this okay? I'm not hurting you am I?"

He kissed her forehead and rubbed circles on her waist. "It's fine, you're fine. He paused before continuing. Before we go to sleep, I think we need to clear the air. Henri was there to take out a target. He felt her tense against him. I brought her in to take out a few people the cabal might hire to kill me, or you. We have to level the playing field a bit if we are going to get through this." She relaxed against him again.

She snuggled a little closer to him. "Thank you for telling me. But why could you not have told me this in the first place?"

He kissed the top of her head, amazed she hadn't jumped out of the bed and pummeled him with the nearest heavy object. "I wasn't sure how you would take it to be perfectly honest and I don't want our friends at the FBI to know what she is doing, they could tip off the very people we are trying to avoid right now. Be very careful who you trust Lizzie."

She leaned up on her elbow and looked him in the eyes, then dropped her gaze to his lips before pressing her lips to his. She was surprising herself with how bold she was being with him tonight, but after almost losing him she didn't want to waste any time. His arm tightened around her as he responded to her kiss. After a moment she pulled back and laid her head back on his chest. "Goodnight Ray."

"Goodnight Lizzie" He added a silent thank you to whatever god must still be looking out for him. He was still here and his Lizzie was in his arms. He knew protocols would have to be reexamined with this new development in their relationship. Come what may, he knew he was never going to let her go.


End file.
